The challenging times we’re all experiencing means we’re getting a lot more calls than usual and our call times are longer. So we can support people in the most vulnerable situations, we ask that you only call us if your enquiry is urgent. You can still use our online and mobile banking services and our automated service.

What is 'Strong Customer Authentication'?

From 14 September 2019, a new EU regulation means that all banks need to provide an extra layer of security for their customers. It’s called 'Strong Customer Authentication'. For you, it means more protection when you’re shopping and banking online. It will involve extra checks to prove it’s really you. This will help keep you safer from online fraud.

Why are you adding these extra checks?

How will this make online shopping and banking more secure?

Most people use passwords as way of proving it’s them. Sadly, passwords can be guessed or stolen by fraudsters. So we’re adding a second layer of security to check it’s really you, and make it harder for anyone else to. There are three ways you can verify yourself:

“Something you know” - this is a piece of secret information that only you know, like your password.

“Something you have” - this is a device you own, like your mobile phone or card reader.

“Something you are” - this is something that is unique to you, like your fingerprint.

You’ll need to provide two of these three ways to verify it’s you. This is called 'two-factor authentication'.

How do I prepare?

To make sure you’re ready for the extra security checks, there are a few things you can do:

Check and update your phone number. We need your number to text a passcode to your mobile, or call your landline. You can do this through your Internet Banking, by coming to see us in branch or by calling us.

Will my phone number be used for any other purpose?

No. Apart from texting passcodes to your mobile or calling your landline to verify yourself, we’ll only ever use your number for what you’ve already given us permission to. This includes things like your marketing preferences and mobile alerts.

When I logged on, I was asked to 'trust this device'. What does this mean?

If you choose to trust the device you use to log on (like your home computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile), it means we won’t need you to go through the extra security checks the next time you log on. You should only trust devices that are secure and aren’t used by people you don’t know.